118th Congress Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
H.R. 4602: Amend the Code for Marriage Equality Act of 2023
Introduced
- Introduced (completed)
- Passed House (not reached)
- Passed Senate (not reached)
- To the President (not reached)
- Became law (not reached)
Summary
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, the Social Security Act (SSA), and other federal laws to replace (1) references to wife or husband with references to spouse, and (2) references to husband and wife or husband or wife with references to married couple or married person.
For purposes of federal laws or regulations, marriage is defined as a legal union between two people as spouses. The bill eliminates a definition of spouse that refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife.
Requirements concerning compensation to a surviving wife after the disability or death of a person employed at a military, air, or naval base outside the United States are revised to make surviving spouses eligible for such compensation.
Read the full summary
The bill makes similar revisions to the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, and other federal statutes.
The bill revises title II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) of the SSA to consolidate separate provisions for a wife's insurance benefits and a husband's insurance benefits into a single standard for a spouse's insurance benefits.
Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
Roll calls
No roll call votes have been held on this bill.
Amendments
No amendments were offered to this bill.
Cosponsors
- Ruben Gallego D-AZ
- Mary Scanlon D-PA
- Jesús García D-IL
- Ann Kuster D-NH
- Jill Tokuda D-HI
- Mark Pocan D-WI
- Raúl Grijalva D-AZ
- Mark Takano D-CA
- Rashida Tlaib D-MI
- Eleanor Norton D-DC
- Hillary Scholten D-MI
- Sylvia Garcia D-TX
- Pramila Jayapal D-WA
- Dan Goldman D-NY
- Josh Gottheimer D-NJ
- Jahana Hayes D-CT
Who scored on this bill
No member has earned points from it yet.
See all scorers and every scoring event
Introductions and cosponsorships count toward weekly caps and show no points.
Other bills by Julia Brownley
- H.R. 658: To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish qualifications for the appointment of a person as a marriage and family therapist, qualified to provide clinical supervision, in the Veterans Health Administration.
- H.R. 659: Veterans Law Judge Experience Act of 2025
- H.R. 8063: To authorize the Secretary of the Army to posthumously award the Distinguished Service Cross to William D. Owens for his valorous actions from June 6, 1944, to June 8, 1944, during World War II at La Fiere Bridge in Normandy, France, while serving with the 505th Parachute Infantry.
- H.R. 542: Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act of 2023
History
- Introduced in the House by Julia Brownley.
Show the full action history (2 actions)
- Introduced in House
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.